The director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands, María José Blanco, said last night that the explosions observed in the Cumbre Vieja volcano are not serious at the moment, as according to the IVE scale (Volcanic Explosion Index), this eruption has a value of 2, whereas the maximum is 8. The volume of ash and pyroclasts, the height of the eruptive cloud, and the injection into the troposphere, among many other parameters, are taken into account.
The eruption that began on September 19th in La Palma, has continued with the same ferocity that it started with, as scientists admit they can’t accurately determine how long it will last as it could be a few weeks or several months. However, Involcan assures that this will occur when there is a decrease in the amount of sulphur dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere, which on Sunday was estimated at 16,000 tons.
After a few days of relative stability in the volcanic activity, part of the cone broke at 7pm on Sunday night which produced, in addition to an explosive phase, a greater outflow of liquid lava that followed the same path the flows had already made in previous days.
Although these breaks have occurred on several occasions during the eruption, this time the emission of the lava was greater, and scientists and Security teams are on the lookout for any change or deviation of the lava flow in case it affects other parts of the population that have ‘escaped’ the lava up to now.
Increased seismic activity in the south of the island:
In addition, the IGN want to reassure the population in the face of the increase in the seismic activity in the south of the island, that it does not mean a new eruption will occur in that area.
The swarm of earthquakes are at a deep level and is not following the pattern of early September, when not only were tremors taking place, but they were happening at shallower depths and getting closer to sea level.
Since Saturday, more than 115 earthquakes have been registered in the south of La Palma; 12 of them felt by the population.
Satellite image of the lava flow from the volcano to the sea.
Area affected by the eruption:
The area affected by the eruption now amounts to 413.38 hectares, 14.2 more than yesterday, and the perimeter of the area is 36.3 kilometres, although it is hoped that not all of this area is washed away by lava.
The width of the flow in some sections is 1,250 metres, 300 more than on Sunday due to the new flows, while the strip that was created when the lava fell into the sea already has an area of 32.7 hectares.
Regarding these hot rocks that come into contact with salty seawater, the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan) has verified through satellites the existence of volcanic tubes that are helping to channel the lava towards the sea.
Weather conditions:
For the first time in many days, meteorology is helping to improve the air quality on the island, although in the early hours of yesterday morning the Aridane Valley woke up covered by a dense cloud that prevented the European Copernicus satellite from updating the evolution of the volcano's runoff and the estimated damage to buildings.
Currently, the wind is favourable so that the cloud of ash and sulphur dioxide does not affect, among other services, the operation of the airport. Meanwhile, administrations are trying to repair the damage caused by the eruption, which has broken the irrigation water supply network in an area considered one of the richest on the island for bananas: the coast of the Aridane Valley.
The councillor for Waters, Carlos Cabrera, announced that work has already begun to raise water from the Las Hoyas area, in the lower part of Los Llanos de Aridane, to the Cuatro Caminos reservoir, in the high area, where around 350 farmers are not able to water their crops, and said that the water will come out of the portable desalination plants that are expected to arrive tomorrow.
